The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for protecting electronic devices against excessive heat build-up and airborne particulate infiltration while implementing EMC shielding.
Electronic components, such as microprocessors and integrated circuits, must operate within certain specified temperature ranges to perform efficiently. Excessive heat, however, degrades their performance, reliability, life expectancy, and even causes failure. For controlling heat in electronic devices, such as computer systems including laptop computers, ambient air is typically drawn into a computer's housing through multiple inlet paths. This is done by internal air-moving devices, drawing the air in before being vented. Because of the pervasive nature of laptop computers, there is a growing demand that they be used in a number of diverse environments including relatively harsh field conditions, such as deserts or the like. However, airborne sand infiltration and high temperatures are major issues. Particulate infiltration potentially results in limited adequate air exchange for the computer's cooling system as well as potential damage to such a system. The problems of infiltration are enhanced when a laptop operates in excessive heat conditions. Thus, the ability to maintain the laptop cool enough to function properly is adversely affected under such circumstances.
One known solution for solving the foregoing issues utilizes a fully sealed computer chassis. Because no air is exchanged between an internal region of the chassis and ambient, an entirely different computer package must be configured. This kind of solution utilizes relatively complicated cooling solutions (e.g., water-cooling). Hence, a fully sealed computer chassis is costly and time-consuming to design and manufacture.
Another known approach utilizes a rigid walled outer enclosure for the computer device. This added enclosure includes one or more booster fans and a filtration system for drawing and filtering outside air into the enclosure before delivering it to the computer device. Significant drawbacks inherent in this kind of approach include costly tooling, as well as power and monitoring issues associated with additional active electronic air-moving devices.
Additionally, it is extremely important to prevent the detection of electronic emissions of a computer system, such as interception of emissions emanating from computer systems used for military purposes in the desert or other field conditions.
Accordingly, the true potential of electronic devices is unrealized if they cannot function satisfactorily in airborne particulate-laden and heated environments without failing. Additionally, without being able to achieve the foregoing in a manner that effectively provides EMC shielding for preventing detection of electronic emissions, the full potential of uses for such electronic devices is also unrealized.